First In: Casa de Las Artes, Member of Meliá Collection

Character and identity

Set in a 1913 landmark on Calle Atocha, a ten-minute walk from the Prado in the Barrio de las Letras, Casa de las Artes occupies four interconnected buildings reimagined by ASAH studio and architect Pedro Alcaraz. The 137 rooms transition from Beaux Arts to Italian rationalism, with terracotta-washed entrances, Dalí lithographs, Don Quixote illustrations above the beds, and midcentury-inspired furniture. The cultural programme is the spine: a Pilar Miró cinema, a book-lined library bar, a dance studio, and meeting rooms equipped with paint and architects' sketches. The signature address is Maché, a restaurant set in the building's restored stained-glass great hall serving traditional Spanish tapas.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets this hotel apart is the seriousness of its arts programming and the restoration of the union hall that now houses Maché, not the room product, which varies sharply by category. If you want the full experience, book one of the larger suites with a terrace and outdoor bathtub; if budget matters more than space, the smaller rooms are honest about what they are. Go soon, while the opening rates hold.